TSIA2 (Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0) — Questions and Answers

Question 1: Two similar solids have surface areas in the ratio 9 : 25. If the smaller solid has a volume of 54 cm³, what is the volume of the larger solid?

90 cm³
450 cm³ (Correct answer)
150 cm³
250 cm³

Correct answer: 450 cm³

Surface areas scale with the square of the linear scale factor, so the linear ratio is √(9/25) = 3/5. Volumes scale with the cube of the linear ratio, so the volume ratio is 27 : 125. Setting 54 / V = 27 / 125 gives V = 54 × 125 / 27 = 250 cm³. The correct value is therefore 250 cm³, which is the second option.

Question 2: 9⁄18 is equivalent to which fraction?

1⁄18
5⁄9
3⁄9
1⁄2 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 1⁄2

To find an equivalent fraction, divide both the numerator (9) and the denominator (18) by their greatest common factor, which is 9. This simplifies the fraction to 9 ÷ 9 = 1 and 18 ÷ 9 = 2, resulting in 1/2. This means that 9 out of 18 parts represents the same proportion as 1 out of 2 parts.

Question 3: What is 20% of 150?

30 (Correct answer)
40
35
25

Correct answer: 30

One fifth of 150 is 30. 25 would be about 16.7 percent.

Question 4: Choose the best version of the sentence's underlined part. The first option corresponds to the original sentence. Choose the first option if you believe the original sentence is the best. Jupiter with its numerous moons, and Great Red Spot, has been studied extensively by astronomers.

Jupiter, with its numerous moons and Great Red Spot, (Correct answer)
Jupiter with, its numerous moons and Great Red Spot,
Jupiter with, its numerous moons, and Great Red Spot,
Jupiter with its numerous moons, and Great Red Spot,

Correct answer: Jupiter, with its numerous moons and Great Red Spot,

Explanation: The only option with correctly positioned commas is this one. Both the numerous moons and the Great Red Spot pertain to Jupiter, which is preserved in this response.

Question 5: What is the chance of choosing a man from a group of four males and eight females?

4⁄5
1⁄3 (Correct answer)
1⁄2
2⁄3

Correct answer: 1⁄3

The total number of people in the group is the sum of males and females: 4 males + 8 females = 12 people. The number of favorable outcomes (choosing a man) is 4. The probability is calculated as the number of favorable outcomes divided by the total number of outcomes, which is 4/12, simplifying to 1/3.

Question 6: In a memoir, the narrator describes her grandmother's kitchen as 'a museum where nothing was ever allowed to be touched, yet every object seemed to be waiting to be used.' What is the primary function of this sentence in the passage?

To prove that the grandmother was wealthy enough to own valuable antiques
To provide a literal, factual inventory of the kitchen's contents
To establish a tension between the kitchen's preserved formality and its implied warmth and usefulness (Correct answer)
To indicate that the narrator disliked visiting her grandmother

Correct answer: To establish a tension between the kitchen's preserved formality and its implied warmth and usefulness

The metaphor of a museum suggests preservation and restriction, while the phrase 'waiting to be used' implies the objects have life and purpose. Together they create a deliberate tension that characterizes the kitchen, and by extension the grandmother, as both rigid and inviting. The sentence is figurative rather than a literal inventory and does not state the narrator's dislike or the grandmother's wealth.

Question 7: Which option correctly uses an apostrophe?

The dog's leash were tangled in the bushes.
The dogs leash was tangled in the bushes.
The dogs' leash was tangled in the bushes — there is only one dog.
The dog's leash was tangled in the bushes. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The dog's leash was tangled in the bushes.

For a singular possessive, add apostrophe + s. "The dog's leash" correctly shows that one dog owns the leash. "Dogs'" would indicate multiple dogs.

Question 8: Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised. In many cultures they consider fish eggs a delicacy.

Fish eggs, a delicacy in many cultures.
In many cultures they consider fish eggs a delicacy.
They consider fish eggs to be a delicacy in many cultures.
In many cultures fish eggs are considered a delicacy. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: In many cultures fish eggs are considered a delicacy.

Explanation: In many cultures fish eggs are considered a delicacy.

Question 9: Which of the following is the best summary of a passage that describes the causes, events, and aftermath of the Great Fire of London in 1666?

The Great Fire of London began in 1666, destroyed much of the city, and led to significant rebuilding and new fire regulations. (Correct answer)
The Great Fire of London was caused by arson and the city was never rebuilt.
London had a fire once that destroyed some buildings.
The Great Fire of London happened in 1666 and was very destructive.

Correct answer: The Great Fire of London began in 1666, destroyed much of the city, and led to significant rebuilding and new fire regulations.

A good summary captures the main points — cause, scope, and aftermath — without being vague or adding unsupported claims. Only option A does this accurately.

Question 10: Which of the following numbers is irrational?

0.333…
√9
√2 (Correct answer)
√16

Correct answer: √2

√2 ≈ 1.41421… is non-terminating and non-repeating, so it cannot be expressed as a ratio of integers.

Question 11: Choose the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement.

Each of the players are bringing a water bottle.
Each of the players bring a water bottle.
Each of the players have brought a water bottle.
Each of the players brings a water bottle. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Each of the players brings a water bottle.

"Each" is singular and requires the singular verb "brings."

Question 12: Solve for y: 2y/3 = 8.

y = 16
y = 5.33
y = 6
y = 12 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: y = 12

Multiply both sides by 3/2: y = 12.

Question 13: What is the median of 3, 9, 5, 7, 1?

3
9
5 (Correct answer)
7

Correct answer: 5

Sorted: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, so the middle is 5. 7 is the third value in the unsorted list.

Question 14: A line passes through (2, 5) and (4, 11). What is the slope of the line?

2
3 (Correct answer)
1/3
6

Correct answer: 3

Slope = (11 - 5) / (4 - 2) = 6 / 2 = 3.

Question 15: Which sentence uses the correct form of the verb?

The data shows that temperatures are rising.
The data is showing that temperatures are rising.
The data shown that temperatures are rising.
The data show that temperatures are rising. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The data show that temperatures are rising.

"Data" is technically a plural noun (singular: datum), so in formal academic writing it takes a plural verb: "data show." In informal usage "data shows" is common but not preferred in formal contexts.

Question 16: If 3x + 2y = 12 and x = 2, what is y?

6
2
4
3 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 3

3(2) + 2y = 12, so 2y = 6 and y = 3.

Question 17: A paragraph opens: "Many historians attribute the town's decline to the closing of its mill." It then lists tax records showing the town's population began shrinking a decade before the mill closed, and concludes: "The mill's closure, then, accelerated a decline already under way." Which statement best describes the structure of the paragraph?

It compares two towns with similar economic histories.
It presents a common explanation, offers evidence that challenges it, and then refines the conclusion. (Correct answer)
It lists events in strict chronological order without evaluation.
It presents a problem and offers a detailed solution.

Correct answer: It presents a common explanation, offers evidence that challenges it, and then refines the conclusion.

The paragraph states a widely held view, introduces tax-record evidence that complicates it, and then offers a more nuanced conclusion. There is no problem-solution pattern, no comparison of towns, and the paragraph evaluates the evidence rather than just ordering events.

Question 18: A sphere is inscribed in a cube with side length 10 units, so it touches all six faces. What fraction of the cube's volume does the sphere occupy?

π/6 (Correct answer)
2π/3
π/4
π/3

Correct answer: π/6

The sphere's diameter equals the cube's side, so its radius is 5. Sphere volume = (4/3)π(5³) = 500π/3. Cube volume = 1000. The ratio is (500π/3)/1000 = π/6, about 0.524.

Question 19: The tone of a passage that uses words like 'gloomy,' 'fading,' and 'silent' is most likely:

Humorous
Excited
Cheerful
Somber (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Somber

Dark, quiet word choices create a somber mood.

Question 20: Which version of the sentence correctly uses a hyphen?

She submitted a well-written-report.
She submitted a well-written report. (Correct answer)
She submitted a well written report.
She submitted a wellwritten report.

Correct answer: She submitted a well-written report.

Compound modifiers before a noun are hyphenated. "Well-written" modifies "report" and comes before it, so it requires a hyphen. No hyphen is needed if the modifier comes after the noun (e.g., "the report was well written").

TSIA2 (Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0)

The TSIA2 is a college readiness assessment used in Texas to determine if students are ready for college-level coursework in reading, writing, and mathematics.

Questions

90 min

Time Limit

90%

To Pass

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Unanswered questions count as wrong — answer everything
10 pretest questions are mixed in and don't affect your score
Timer auto-submits when time runs out
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These practice questions were written with AI tools. They are not real exam questions. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy

Sources & references

Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy

reportcenter.highered.texas.gov — Passing score, retake policy, exam format, test delivery, score release, time limit, exam information · verified Nov 2026
tea.texas.gov — Eligibility, score validity · verified Oct 2026
txst.edu — Fees · verified Oct 2026
tccd.edu — Retake fee, fees, exam information · verified Oct 2026
shsu.edu — Fees, retake fee · verified Oct 2026
ets.utdallas.edu — Fees · verified Oct 2026